Picking the Right Juicer to Fit your Needs

Do you know there are 3 types of juicers on the market today? Below is an explanation of the juicer types.

a masticating juicer

Masticating Juicers

Masticating Juicers / Single Gear / Single Auger Juicers use a single gear or auger that literally chews fruit and vegetable fibers and breaks up the plant cells, resulting in more fiber, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. They are generally more efficient than Centrifugal juicers because they can extract more juice from the same amount of food (i.e., the pulp comes out drier).

These juicers are very capable at juicing virtually any fruit and vegetable, and single gear juicers will also extract juice from leaves and grasses, like wheatgrass, spinach, lettuce, parsley, and other leafy greens and herbs. (Note: the Champion Juicers are the exception and do not juice wheatgrass or greens very well).

Another benefit of masticating juicers is that they operate at slower speeds (RPMs) than centrifugal juicers. Resulting in less foam and heat, which means more nutrition in your glass. The low speed also increases the shelf life of the juice so that you can generally store your juicer for a few days.

Masticating juicers are also more versatile than centrifugal juicers. In addition to extracting juices, these juicers also homogenize foods to make baby foods, pates, sauces, nut butter, banana ice creams and fruit sorbets. Some of these juicers can even extrude pasta and make breadsticks and rice cakes!

Masticating Juicers/Upright

Upright Masticating Juicers are a revolutionary new patented design juicer with all of the high yield, low-speed qualities of a standard Single Auger Masticating Juicer. Its upright design is space-saving.

a masticating/upright juicer

With these juicers, the juice is first extracted through a crushing stage and, before the pulp is ejected, it is then squeezed during a second pressing stage; resulting in more juice, and extremely dry pulp. The low RPMs of these juicers ensure high yield and low waste.

Twin-gear Juicers

Twin-Gear (Triturating) Juicers are the most expensive type of juicers, but they offer the most benefits. Twin gear juicers turn at even slower speeds (RPMs), resulting in even less oxidation from foam and less destruction of nutrients from heat. The low speeds also decrease the aeration and oxidation of the juicer, meaning you can refrigerate and store your juice for a few days.

Twin gear juicers are the most efficient type of juicer available and can extract higher yields of juice from fruits, vegetables, wheatgrass, pine needles, spinach, and other greens and herbs. The pulp that comes out of twin gear juicers is the driest of all the types of juicers. These juicers extract as much juice from wheatgrass as the wheatgrass-only type of juicers.

Twin gear juicers operate by pressing food between two interlocking roller gears. This juicing process yields a larger volume of juice. The high pressure squeezing force of the twin gears breaks open tough cell walls and releases more enzymes, vitamins, and trace minerals.

Twin gear juicers do more than just extract juice. They can homogenize to make baby foods, nut butter, fruit sorbets and many have optional or included attachments for making pasta, breadsticks, and rice cakes.

a twin-gear juicer

Centrifugal Juicers

a centrifugal juicer

Centrifugal Juicers are the most popular and generally the most affordable type of juicer. Most juicers available in department stores are centrifugal juice machines but beware warranties less than one year.

Centrifugal juicers are great at juicing most any fruit or vegetable and get the job done very easily and quickly. However, centrifugal juicers have a more difficult time effectively extracting high yields of juice from grassed and leafy foods like wheatgrass, spinach, lettuce, parsley and other greens and herbs. Centrifugal juicers will extract some juice from these greens, but far less than single or twin gear juicers.

Some Centrifugal juicers are available with large feeding chutes. It allows whole foods to be juiced without the need to cut and prepare food into smaller pieces. Most, centrifugal juicers, however, have oval shaped feeding chutes that are large enough for a half or at least a quarter of an apple.

Centrifugal type juicers first grate the fruit or vegetable into a pulp. Then it uses centrifugal force to push the pulp against a strainer screen by spinning it at a very high RPM.

Advantages/Disadvantages

The advantages of centrifugal juicers are the speed at which a juicing job can be done. There are several disadvantages as well. As mentioned above, centrifugal juicers are not effective grass and leaf juicers.

Additionally, the pulp generated by a centrifugal juicer is still relatively wet, meaning that some juice goes to waste. Single gear juicers and twin gear juicers have higher yields (drier pulp) than centrifugal juicers.

Another disadvantage is the shelf life of the juice from a centrifugal juicer. Because of the high speed required to extract juice, the juice gets aerated. A great deal of oxygen is dissolved in the juice. The oxygen bubbles in the juice cause the juice to oxidize (spoil) quickly. The juice from a centrifugal juicer should be consumed right away. It can’t be effectively stored for any length of time without loss of nutritional value. If you wish to store juice, consider a low-speed juicer like a single or twin gear juicer.

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